The Valentine’s Day treats I’ll be giving to every person in my life

By Jess Spiro, 8 February 2021

Whether you buy into the Valentine’s hype or not, there’s no denying that everyone could use a little extra love in their lives at the moment. And by love, I don’t only mean your significant other. Coupled up or not, Valentine’s Day is going to feel a little different this year, but it doesn’t need to be any less special. This year, I’m looking to spread the love in the form of handmade gifts – and there’s something for every person in my life.

The friend with all the dietary requirements

You know who you are. The friend who, on any given day, is following a sugar-free, vegan, gluten- or dairy-free lifestyle. Despite all these parameters to work within, there’s still a sweet treat for them. First up are these vegan Bounty bars, made from coconut and dairy-free chocolate, they’re an excellent upgrade to the shop-bought variety. Not into chocolate? These coconut-and-jam drop cookies are nostalgic, delicious and gluten-free all at the same time.
Get the recipe for vegan Bounty bars here.

Get the recipe for coconut-and-jam drops here.

The carb-conscious mom

Granted my own mother isn’t necessarily a carb-watcher, but considering how much the woman loves a cup of tea, I think a batch of these peanut butter-and-date cookies would go down a treat.
Get the recipe for peanut butter-and-date biscuits here.

The chocoholic boyfriend

The best thing about my SO (or at least one of the best things), is that we share the same love for a bag of Chuckles – and a bulk bag would likely be a sufficient Valentine’s gift. However, for putting up with me, I think he deserves not one, but two sweet treats. The first being a batch of Chuckles-embedded fudge, which takes minutes to put together, and the second, some of these chocolate coins topped with pistachios and orange zest.
5-ingredient-microwave-fudgeGet the recipe for 5-ingredient microwave fudge here.

Chocolate-coinsGet the recipe for chocolate coins here.

The friend who doesn’t like chocolate

Just when you thought the vegan was the fussy one! For this friend, I’m going to need to pull something impressive out of the bag. Enter these brown-butter caramel Snickerdoodles. They’re nutty, not too sweet and stuffed with toffee, so what’s not to love? Alternatively, I’ll gift them a box of tahini Rice Krispie tumbles for a slightly less-sweet option.
Brown-butter-caramel-snickerdoodlesGet the recipe for brown-butter caramel Snickerdoodles here.

Get the recipe for tahini Rice Krispie tumbles here.

The one who’s “not a dessert person”

Bless this friend, the one who never asks for a bite of your dessert. To show my appreciation, I’ll be making a big batch of this trail mix and giving them a jar filled with it to snack on during the day, or even scatter over yoghurt for a savoury-leaning breakfast.
Get the recipe for trail mix here.

The treat I'd like to receive (hint, hint!)

Considering I do a lot of cooking for the ones I love, I'm unashamedly going to request one of them returns the favour by making this giant cinnamon bun for me this year. Failing that, I'll make it – and eat it – myself.
Giant-cinnamon-bunGet the recipe for giant cinnamon bun here.

Jess Spiro

Article by Jess Spiro

Jess Spiro is a freelance food writer, chef and restaurant critic based in Cape Town, who can often be found in search of the next great plate of food. Follow her on Instagram @jess_spiro to see what she's eating.
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